The Latin Subjunctive: Wishes, Purposes and Fīat Lūx
An introduction to the Latin subjunctive mood, its use for wishes and purpose, and the well-known phrases where you can spot it.
The subjunctive is a verb mood used for things that are wished, intended, possible or doubtful, rather than stated as fact. It sounds daunting, but you already know some subjunctive phrases.
The present subjunctive
For the 1st conjugation, the vowel -a- changes to -e-:
| Person | amō (indicative) | amem (subjunctive) |
|---|---|---|
| I | amō | amem |
| you | amās | amēs |
| he/she/it | amat | amet |
| we | amāmus | amēmus |
| you (pl.) | amātis | amētis |
| they | amant | ament |
In the other conjugations, the subjunctive uses -a-: for example regat (subjunctive) versus regit (indicative).
Uses
1. Wishes and blessings
The subjunctive expresses "may ...":
- Requiēscat in pāce. — May he/she rest in peace. (the origin of R.I.P.)
- Sit tibi terra levis. — May the earth be light on you. (a Roman epitaph)
2. Commands and encouragement
- Fīat lūx. — Let there be light. (from fīō, "to become")
3. Purpose
A purpose clause uses ut ("in order that") with the subjunctive:
- Edō ut vīvam. — I eat in order to live.
- Ēsse oportet ut vīvās, nōn vīvere ut edās. — You should eat to live, not live to eat.
For a negative purpose, use nē ("in order that not").
Where you see the subjunctive in English
Even English keeps a little subjunctive: "God save the King", "if I were you", "I suggest he be present". Latin uses it much more widely.
Spotting the subjunctive
- Look for ut, nē, cum and sī clauses.
- Look at the vowel: -e- in the 1st conjugation (amet) instead of -a- (amat).
- Ask whether the sentence expresses a wish or purpose rather than a fact.
Tips
- Learn the wish phrases first.
- Learn the -e- change in the 1st conjugation.
- Use the dictionary to check verb forms.
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